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Pot Hearing on Laws

Some New Mexican's say they're terrified about what could happen to a drug they rely on, medical marijuana.

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Updated: 11:09 PM MDT Jun 16, 2014

Pot Hearing on Laws

Some New Mexican's say they're terrified about what could happen to a drug they rely on, medical marijuana.

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Updated: 11:09 PM MDT Jun 16, 2014

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WEBVTT SAY THEY'RE TERRIFIED ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO A DRUG THEY RELY ON - MEDICAL MARIJUANA. THE STATE IS PROPOSING SOME MAJOR CHANGES TO THE CANNABIS PROGRAM. NEW AT TEN, ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER ALANA GRIMSTAD SHOWS US WHY IT'S GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE OUTRAGED. NAT: YELLING EMOTIONS RAN HIGH. This is B.S.! PEOPLE WERE STOKED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY SAY THEY NEED TO SMOKE. I'm sorry for getting upset, but that's freaking why I'm in the program! VETERANS AND CANCER PATIENTS WERE AMONG THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO SOUNDED OFF TO THE NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THEY AREN'T HAPPY WITH PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE STATE'S MEDICAL CANNABIS PROGRAM. It takes the program as it is, and it just destroys it. THE PEOPLE IN THIS PACKED HOUSE SAY THE CHANGES WILL MAKE IT HARDER AND MORE EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO GET THE DRUG THEY NEED. THEY WORRY IT COULD FORCE THEM TO TURN TO THE BLACK MARKET. THOSE POSSIBLE CHANGES INCLUDE CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS, REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF POT PANTS PATIENTS CAN GROW, AND CHARGING EXTRA FEES. No, no, no, no. It's too expensive already. THE STATE LAWMAKER WHO SPONSORED THE MEDICAL CANNABIS BILL PASSED SEVEN YEARS AGO IS FIRED UP, SAYING THIS IS THE GOVERNOR'S ATTEMPT TO PUT THE PROGRAM UP IN SMOKE. It appears that her department is using a back door approach, a back room approach, to try to kill the program. BUT KEN GROGGEL, WHO WORKS FOR THE GOVERNOR AND RUNS THE PROGRAM, SAYS THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE. That's absolutely not what's happening. If that was happening, we wouldn't be adding producers. We wouldn't adjusting the plant count and making more medicine available for patients. IN SANTA FE, ALANA GRIMSTAD KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS. THE PROPOSED CHANGES ALSO INCLUDE A BIG HIKE IN SUPPLY AND GROWERS' FEES. THE STATE SAYS THOSE FEES ARE NECESSARY TO KEEP THE PROGRAM RUNNING. ABOUT 11-THOUSAND NEW MEXICANS USE MEDICAL MARIJUANA.

Pot Hearing on Laws

Some New Mexican's say they're terrified about what could happen to a drug they rely on, medical marijuana.